Chapter 21
Half a year remains until enrollment in the military school.
I've already grown used to life here, and even the field training that was difficult at first has become manageable.
Basic training, field exercises, combat drills, and emergency medical care directly from the military doctors.
The only thing left now is the camping training, but that three-day, three-night exercise in the forest outside the fort is so harsh that even adults complain, and it's said that clashes with the eastern or western military divisions occasionally occur.
"Absolutely not allowed to participate!"—Uncle Ruget firmly told me, since I lack both skill and experience.
I guess this will be postponed until military school... I thought, stretching my body while lying on my back in the grass.
Before mock battles using dummy weapons, you have to loosen your muscles to avoid injury.
While watching the battle begin in the circle at Rick's signal, I focused solely on my stretches.
Since I don't have a buddy partner, someone who's already finished their match and still has energy left is assigned to spar with me, so the wait is very long.
So, during that free time, I close my eyes and do image training as a review of the previous session.
(Yesterday, my dominant arm side was easily taken, and I was grabbed and thrown to the ground... Not reacting in time was the cause of my loss. Dropping my dagger was a mistake too.)
The more I thought about it, the more flaws I found, and I sighed in frustration and let my body go limp.
"......Are you sleeping?"
"No, I should've slipped in close and aimed for the neck firs...t? ...Huh?"
Reacting to the innocent voice in my ear, my inner thoughts slipped out of my mouth as I lifted my eyelids.
"......Huh?"
"......"
An angel was peering down at my face from above.
That's not a metaphor.
It was exactly like an angel from a picture book—or maybe a fairy, perhaps...
Silky golden hair spilled over their shoulders, and in those large green eyes, my silly face was reflected.
Maybe because I was staring without blinking, the angel slightly furrowed their brows and disappeared from my view.
"Brother, she's awake."
"I don't think she was actually asleep."
...Could it be that I accidentally fell asleep while stretching?
"......Eh!?"
Just as I was feeling disappointed thinking it was a dream, I heard the angel's voice again, along with a familiar one, and I quickly jumped up.
"Rudo..."
"It's been a while. You haven't changed at all, Celes."
Seeing me with grass stuck to my clothes and hair—what does he mean by 'haven't changed'...?
Rudo must have continued his training even after returning to the Royal Capital.
Compared to a year ago, he's taller and more built.
"It's been a while. It's already been a year... Time really flies here."
"You didn't attend any events, Celes. I could understand skipping my mother's tea party, but even the royal music festival?"
"......I wasn't feeling well."
"You look perfectly healthy though?"
"Well, it's my chronic illness..."
As I held my chest and glanced at Rudo, he gave a wry smile as if to say 'can't be helped.'
This will be the last year I get to have this kind of conversation with Your Highness, the Crown Prince.
Rudo will go to the academy, and I to the military school. We'll both be too busy to visit here anymore.
Even after graduating from military school, once I marry, I'll hardly ever leave the territory.
Maybe decades from now, I'll look back on this as a precious memory.
"By the way, who is that person?"
I nearly blurted out, 'The angel?'
I want him to hurry and introduce the adorably cute boy standing next to Rudo.
"Ah, that's my younger brother, Renato."
"Nice to meet you. I heard about you from my brother and wanted to meet you."
Prompted gently by Rudo, the one who greeted me was not the angel—but His Highness, the Second Prince.
What did he tell him? I glanced suspiciously at Rudo, but judging by his face, it was probably nothing good...
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Celestia Rotisch."
"My brother said a girl around my age was training at the fort. So it was true..."
"Originally, this fort isn't a place children can come to so casually. Celestia is the Marshal's granddaughter, so she's an exception. Of course, I'm also using my royal privilege, so I'm an exception too."
"Then I'm special like my brother!"
"That's right."
Renato, who's happily being patted on the head by Rudo, is just too adorable...
"Sorry for interrupting your training. I came just to say hello."
"It's fine. My field training starts after everyone else finishes."
Perhaps noticing the mock battle already underway, Rudo looked apologetic, but my turn was still far off.
"So Renato is with you this year too?"
"......It's safer here than the royal castle."
Surprised by Rudo's hushed, ominous words, I stepped to the opposite side of Renato, close enough that our shoulders almost touched.
"Did you know Father's concubine gave birth to a child?"
"I've overheard Grandfather and Uncle Ruget talk about it a few times."
"So even the Marshal's heard... Until now, the ones with royal succession rights were me, Renato, and the First Princess, Luriana. But now, the concubine's Third Prince has been added. It's a joyful event, but the Count family backing the concubine is problematic."
"Has a power struggle for the throne already begun behind the scenes?"
"There's no solid evidence, but yesterday Renato was poisoned. A chamberlain noticed and prevented it, but there'll likely be another attempt."
"What about you, Rudo?"
"I've already been designated as heir by Father, so unlike Renato, I have heavy security. Luriana's succession rank dropped, so she's safe. But Renato is different. In a situation where no one can be trusted, we couldn't leave him alone in the castle."
"This place isn't exactly safe either."
"If someone could sneak into this fort, hiding in the castle wouldn't help anyway."
That's true...
"Besides, Renato should learn practical swordsmanship too."
"Doesn't he have a tutor?"
"He does... but the style is too formal and pretty. I worry whether it's suitable for actual battle. I know it's not fair to compare him to soldiers constantly on the battlefield, but Renato will eventually become the Knight Commander. Unlike me, he may have to go to war, so it's best he learns from the Marshal. It's what he wants too."
"I'll protect my brother."
If the knights are the shield that protects the nation, then the soldiers are the spear.
The position of Knight Commander, who bears the nation's shield, has always been inherited by royalty. If things go as planned, Rudo will become king, and Renato will become Knight Commander.
But the Third Prince's side is made up of people who would go as far as to use poison. They're not going to accept this outcome quietly. They might try something again.
"I can't appoint someone I don't trust to lead the knights who protect those around me and the people of the Royal Capital."
Just last year, he was exhausted dealing with his fiancée and potential aides, and now he has to be wary of his own younger brother and his relatives...
Rudo, who used to say 'boku' like Renato, now refers to himself as 'watashi'—a change that must have happened while we were apart. As the Crown Prince, he probably has to grow up faster than the other children.
"There's still time."
"That's true."
The Third Prince won't come of age for quite a while.
By then, Rudo and Renato just need to have their foundations firmly established.
...Rather, it might be Renato who doesn't have much time.
Just like Renato has a tutor, Rudo must have had someone teaching him swordsmanship since he was young too.
And yet, he still takes the time every year to travel from the Royal Capital to this remote northern fort for training—doesn't that mean there's a significant difference in skill level?
(The difference in fighting style between knights and soldiers... I'm curious...)
I've heard that on the days when the knights' monthly training is open to spectators, the place is overflowing with women, regardless of whether they're commoners or nobles.
I was never interested, so I never wanted to go, but maybe I should observe at least once when I return to the Royal Capital.
"......Hey."
While I was thinking that and watching Rudo's back as he walked away after being called by Rick, a cold voice came from my right, and I tried to convince myself I was just hearing things.
There's no way that angelic voice could sound so cold...
"Celestia Rotisch."
"......Yes."
It wasn't my imagination... I turned with tears in my eyes, only to find Renato's once-adorable face now completely expressionless and chillingly sharp. The angel was gone.